


The Girl and her Friend Made of Flowers

by theChromiumFail



Series: Fairytales For Your Local Ninja [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Flowers, Gen, Lots of flowers, Sprites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 05:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17217908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theChromiumFail/pseuds/theChromiumFail
Summary: Sakura's parents aren't her only constants throughout her young life.





	1. Eyes in the Garden

**Author's Note:**

> Finally continuing this series with the addition of this story. I wrote most of this months ago before, against my own judgement, taking a break which lasted up until two days ago. But it's finished now, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> This story alternates between when Sakura is older and when she's younger. In this chapter, she is around 5 years old. Comments and kudos are much appreciated!

“Kizashi!” Sakura hears her mother call from inside the shop. It’s nearly noon, which means they’re about to open for the day. Sakura caught on to their schedule a long time ago, despite her age. Her mother and father always did compliment her on her observation skills. 

 

She could hear her father’s footsteps descending the stairs, followed by the sound of the window shutters opening, signalling to anyone outside that they were now open for business. Most days, like today, Sakura’s mother would give her small tasks to keep her busy throughout the day. 

 

Carefully, Sakura lifts the watering can in her small hands, and goes about watering the plants in their wayward garden. It was the only job outside that her mother trusted her to do alone. Anything that involved direct contact had to be supervised, she was told, since some of the flora they grew could be harmful and sometimes fatal. 

 

Watering the plants wasn’t the most exciting thing to do, but Sakura much preferred having to do this task on a day as busy as this. She can hear the front door opening and closing, and the muffled voices filling the shop as she makes her way towards the back of the garden. Otherwise, she would be running around helping her dad package customer’s orders. She has meet the most interesting people with that job; inner city knights, travelers, and local citizens alike. But today, she could do without all the prodding comments and questions that came with them.

 

A noise startles Sakura out of her thoughts, and she nearly drops the water can in her surprise.

 

She thinks about what her mom would say as she fixes her grip on the can and assumes the noise is from an animal. Their garden often plays host to the occasional bird or rodent, much to her parent’s annoyance. The rustling sounds again. Sakura walks back to the entrance door, trading her water can for a broom- her mother’s usual weapon of choice. 

 

Now armed and ready, she makes her way to the back of the garden, keeping a lookout for a sign of whatever it is that’s rummaging through the bushes and shrubs. 

 

Her intense focus makes her eyes cross, and she giggles as the garden seems to go in an out of focus, doubling everything. She starts at the sound of the rustling again, now coming from right in front of her. She makes her eyes focus on the hakura-nishiki hedges before her, and sees a pair of eyes behind the leaves staring back out at her.

 

She shrieks as she jumps back, the broom in her hands just missing her feet as it falls to the floor. After a beat, she grabs for the broom again, using her strength to sloppily swing it over her shoulder and hit the hedge. The branches jump, releasing leaves and twigs onto the floor.

 

Her heartbeat thuds in her ears as she waits, frozen in place and waiting for whatever- whoever - was in the bush to come out.

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you- hey-!” Sakura’s feet slip on the damp leaves as she tries to get away from the source of the voice behind her. Something scratches her arm as she falls, and it burns despite not drawing blood, like a brush from a tree branch. She lands on the stone floor, wincing at the impact. 

 

She anticipates an attack, but there is none. Slowly, the tension begins to seep out of the air, and her heartbeat grows slower. She chances a peek from behind her arm. Without thinking, her surprise has her lowering her arm to better see the girl standing before her.

 

She couldn’t be much older than Sakura herself, with shoulder length light blond hair, striking blue eyes, and a round face. Her arm outstretched, she seemed as if she was about to reach out to Sakura before they heard a call “Sakura!” come from behind the door. “What is going on in there?”

 

Sakura could hear her mother’s footsteps coming closer before the door opened, Mebuki’s eyes finding her, and the damaged hedge, instantly. “What on earth were you doing in here?”

 

Sakura quickly turns to the girl as explanation, but there is no one else with her anymore. She frantically looks around the garden for her, but sees no one but her mother. “I…”

 

“Come inside, Sakura, that’s enough time in here for you today.”

 

“But…” Sakura doesn’t know what to say and her weak protest falls short as her mother ushers her through the door. She hears the broom clang on the stone tiles, and looks just in time through the closing door to see the hedges rustle, and a foot disappearing back into the leaves.


	2. When I Grow Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura knows her path in life. Ino...not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is already finished, I'm just uploading in pieces while stalling to try and finish something else. I'm also planning to have supplemental material uploaded on this series, I love this AU. I'll probably put it here as a separate "story" since Tumblrs going to the dogs.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter. They're about 13-14 years old in this chapter.

“Really Sakura, who cares about the difference between a Draugr and a Gargoyle?” Ino scrunches her nose up as she looks over the pages before her, brushing the knots out of her hair. “They’re basically the same.”

 

Sakura looks up from her notes, “They’re quite different, actually.” She smiles as Ino rolls her eyes, replacing the brush with a ribbon to pull her hair back. “You’re  _ supposed _ to be helping me study. We’re gonna need to know these things if we want to be Conciliators.”

 

Ino slides off the edge of Sakura’s bed to toss away her shed hair. “Yeah, but you won’t need to know all that until, like, your second year. Besides, I don’t even know if I want to do that anymore.”

 

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to start early y- wait,” Sakura turns to face Ino, “what do you mean ‘you don’t know if you want to do that anymore?’”

 

For a second, Ino looks sheepish. She pushes it away, covering it up with a cooler expression.

 

“I just- I want to leave my options open.” Ino pushes aside two or three of Sakura’s books to make room for herself to lay down, resting her head in her hands.

 

Sakura is silent for a moment, studying her friend’s face. “What’s this really about?”

 

Slowly, Ino opens her eyes to look at Sakura, her real expression still hidden. “Conciliators don’t make much, you know. All that traveling from place to place nonsense. Besides, how many ferasapien Conciliators do you know? They may not want me.”

 

Sakura can feel her smile spreading across her face. It was a weak argument at best, and Ino knew it. “I know plenty who are well off, and you know as good as I do that there are a good number of ferasapien Conciliators nowadays, thanks to the Ienori Pact.” Her first point may have been a bit of a stretch; she didn’t even know that many Conciliators. She could only say for sure those that her parents used to work with. It was, however, true that the number of ferasapiens going into the mediator field were increasing as more lands got involved with the Pact that helped regulate ferasapien rights. “Your turn.”

 

“Ugh,” Ino sighs, moving into a sitting position. “Doesn’t it ever bother you to be a know-it-all all the time?” She nearly huffs out a laugh before catching the genuine hurt flash across Sakura’s face. She sighs again. “Sorry. I don’t know, it’s just...being a mediator and all...we thought it was cool years ago. I’m just not sure if I feel the same way now. What if we’re just running into this? It’s a dangerous job.”

 

They sit in silence for a minute, sitting on Ino’s question.

 

“I…” Sakura starts hesitantly, trying to figure out her words. “I know what I want, Ino. I’m going to do this, and, you don’t have to do this with me, but,” she looks up from the books in her lap, meeting Ino’s eyes. “I’m not holding back.”


	3. Ruby Red Ribbon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ino helps Sakura stop hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean to take this long away from this story, especially considering it's, you know, done. My apologies, I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and check out the rest of the series! I tried to make this chapter as close to the scene in the actual show as possible, as you'll see. Thanks YouTube.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are love.

“Sakura?”

Sakura had heard her friend approaching even before the other girl spoke, though she’s sure Ino meant it that way. Sakura can’t tell if her presence is a comfort or more upsetting. She had come to her family’s garden looking for temporary privacy, as her parents were busy elsewhere, but perhaps a part of her had hoped Ino would come.

“What’s the matter?” Ino emerges from the boxwood bushes to the left of Sakura, the leaves falling from her limbs and hair to trail on the cobblestone as she takes a seat on the ground in front of Sakura. “Hey, look at me.”

Sakura slowly lifts her head just enough to look at Ino over the caps of her knees. She had hoped that her face didn’t look as puffy as it felt, but the look on Ino’s face proved otherwise. It made Sakura even more hesitant, embarassed to make her friend worry over such a stupid issue. “It’s...the other kids at school they…” she tries to take a breath, but has to sniff to clear her nose. Finally, she mumbles, “they make fun of my forehead...”

“They what? I can’t hear you,” Ino raises her voice just so to indicate the volume she thinks Sakura should speak with. The suggestion makes Sakura irrationally angry. She hadn’t wanted to admit it in the first place, let alone repeat it.

“They make fun of my forehead!” 

Ino’s eyes widen in surprise at Sakura’s outburst. Clearly she hadn’t meant for her to yell, but whether her subsequent smile is for making Sakura speak up or an attempt to hide her initial surprise, Sakura doesn’t know. For a second, she fears that Ino will laugh at her and poke fun like the others. She’s worried that having pointed it out has made Ino realize that they can’t be friends.

Ino reaches over with one hand, pushing Sakura’s hair back and away from her forehead. She does laugh, and she does poke fun at her. “I guess it is pretty big, huh? That’s why you try and hide it with your bangs. Well, it only makes it worse, you look like a sheepdog!”

“Go away!” Sakura slaps Ino’s hand away, her bangs falling back into place. She wants to tell Ino off, make some grand statement and walk away, but all she’s able to do is cry harder, so she hides her face back behind her knees.

After a moment, she’s convinced Ino left like she thought she would, but then she hears, “hey.” She still doesn’t look up.

“Hey, you know what? I’ve got something special for you! Just close your eyes, or, well, keep them closed I guess.” 

Sakura tries her best to tune out Ino’s words, but her curiosity is piqued. Still, when she feels Ino’s arms pass her and her hair being rearranged, it’s her stubbornness that makes her keep her head down, not Ino’s request. She can feel something being wrapped around her head and tightened.

“There.” She can feel Ino’s presence before her for a minute before Ino walks off. Sakura is just about to get up when she hears the other girl’s footsteps returning. “C’mon, see? This looks so much better!”

That catches Sakura’s attention, and makes her look up.

She gasps when she finds herself face to face with a small mirror- and her forehead. She doesn’t remember the last time she had it exposed. Since the kids in her neighborhood started making fun of her, she had refused to let her parents tie it back or braid it. Eventually, she just got used to the bangs, but that didn’t stop the kids from teasing her.

“You can keep that ribbon, by the way.” Sakura turns to Ino, having almost forgotten she was still standing there. She wonders where her friend even got the mirror from. It was simple- not even a frame to cover the edges of the glass- and nothing like what she had at her house. Ino’s smile is bright, showing that she’s proud of her work.

Sakura turns back to the mirror, “but…”

“But what?”

“My forehead.” Ino rolls her eye, turning the mirror around to get Sakura’s attention.

“Oh, come on Sakura! Don’t you see the more you hide from it the bigger deal you make of it? Besides, your face isn’t even that bad! It’s cute, really! You just gotta own it, be confident.” She holds the mirror back out and smiles. 

Sakura cautiously looks back at the mirror, at her exposed face and the ribbon Ino so expertly tied into a bow to hold back her hair. She did like the ribbon, and really, the red cloth perfectly complimented her pink hair. Maybe the style did look good on her, even if it only showed off the size of her forehead. She looks above the mirror back at Ino, who’s smile only grows bigger. Sakura, her face still puffy but her eyes finally dry, smiles back.


	4. Star Gaze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone and Flower sit underneath the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two are adorable, I love them. Comments and kudos are love!

Sakura squints up at the night sky. Thankfully the clouds from past week are not present to cover up the stars that shine brilliantly above her and Ino. She turns her head to look at the other girl whose practically melting into the grass beneath them. The foliage surrounds her naturally, fusing with her hair and exposed skin. Ino always did prefer to keep some part of her original form. It fascinated Sakura.

Ino lifts her arm, pointing up and pulling Sakura from her thoughts. “If you look at the stars over there, it kinda looks like a mouse.” Sakura looks back at the sky trying to follow where Ino is pointing. After a second, she turns back to Ino, and the next thing she knows they’re both laughing.

“A mouse, really? That’s the best you could do?”

“Hey, I’m trying! I haven’t heard anything from you, think you can do better?”

Sakura grins, her laugh subsiding, and searches the skies again. “Always.” She can feel Ino’s eyes on her while she looks. The attention makes her take longer to find a shape, a quiet distraction. She hopes the shadows hide the slight flush in her cheeks. “There. Ignore all those little ones and it makes an arm reaching out, hand and all.” Definitely better than a mouse.

“Hmm,” Ino sounds, “dramatic. I like it.”

“I wish I knew which stars they were.” Sakura doesn’t realize she’s said it outloud until she hears Ino’s questioning hum. “I was thinking about taking a navigation elective before we graduate. It’d be good for missions, you know? In case you find yourself without a map.”

“Sakura, thinking ten steps ahead as usual.”

Sakura reaches over and nudges Ino with her elbow. “Someone has to, I’m just praying I get paired with a good group after we graduate.” 

She braces herself on her arm to sit up, Ino following suit. She’d really meant that she hopes Ino’s in her assigned unit. She debates whether or not to actually say this. Ignoring the heat that blooms in her face once more, she aims for something decidedly more casual. “It’d be cool if we could just choose who we wanted instead.” She deliberately ignores the knowing look in Ino’s eyes as the other girl holds out her hand. Sakura takes it in her’s anyway.

“In your own words, ‘that wouldn’t be very fair.’” Ino sighs. “But I admit it’d be nice to be able to avoid some of the kids in our year. Kiba’s more insufferable than ever now.”

Sakura raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you guys date back in secondary, after he moved here?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Ino falls back against the grass, dramatically throwing her arm over her eyes. “He’s literally a dog.”

“Harsh,” Sakura swats her friends leg, unsure what else to say. She takes a moment to think to herself. “I would say Shikamaru. He’s clearly smart, but he’s so lazy-”

“Nara? Hell no, he’s so annoying. And we have, like, every class together. My only reprieve is when I go home or to your house.”

Sakura winces at the mention of her own house, mumbling, “About that...”

Ino turns to look at Sakura, her eyes squinted in suspicion. “What do you mean, “about that”?” 

Sakura hesitates. She knows Ino’s concern doesn’t really have anything to do with Shikamaru, she doesn’t hate the boy that much. Still, Sakura knows Ino will be mad that she didn’t tell her about her and Shikamaru’s families potentially going into business together. The Nara family owned acres of land, adequately named the Nara forest, where they raise and breed creatures and specialty plants for all kinds of healing products and elixirs. With competition likely to heat up as Konoha gains more allies, Sakura’s mom had thought it reasonable for them to work together to improve business. Sakura explained as much to Ino.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Nara reaches out to your dad soon, too. He knows that my parents already work with yours...” She adds.

“Great.” Ino’s arm returns to her face.


	5. Winter Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's mom figures Ino is more than she seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading the final 2 chapters, then hopefully I can start and finish another story within this universe! Enjoy!

“Sakura, honey, come here please,” Mebuki calls from the upstairs hallway. Sakura carefully but quickly makes her way up the stairs. Her mom didn’t sound mad, but Sakura knew from experience how good her mom was at keeping her true emotions hidden. Her mother stands at the farther end of the small hall, by Sakura’s bedroom.

“Yes?” Sakura can’t imagine what it is that her mother would call her for? Did she want her to clean? Sakura kept her room fairly neat and clean. Maybe she left the window open and something got in, but she’s sure she remembers closing it last night before she went to sleep. She continues walking until she’s standing beside her mother so she can see into her room.

Windows definitely closed.

“Where did you get those from?” Her mother points rather generally to the right wall of Sakura’s bedroom. Sakura searches the area for anything new she may have bought or out of place.

“The candles?” Her mom hadn’t been with her and her dad when they got them from the market, but surely she already knew-

“No, not the candles. The flowers.”

Oh. Sakura had gotten so used to being around flowers, and the ones that sat on her desk in particular, that it didn’t even seem out of the ordinary for them to be there anymore.

“They’re definitely not from downstairs, it’s well past the season for anything like that to grow,” her mother continued. “And if we can’t grow them, I doubt anyone else is. Were they a gift?”

“Ino gave them to me.”

“Ino? That little girl that got into our greenhouse that one summer?” 

Sakura nods. “I still talk to her, she comes around more often...” her voice trails off at the look on her mother’s face.

“Sakura-”

“You said it was ok if I talked to her! And we don’t go far, just like you said, I swear.”

“I know I did, but-,” her mother sighs. “It’s just that I don’t know her very well, and I’ve never seen her parents. It’s important for parents to meet each other, Sakura. Besides, you have other friends now you can talk to.”

“But Ino talked to me first. My other friends used to make fun of me.” Sakura curls her first two fingers on each hand together when she says “other friends.” She’s seen her dad do it when he says things he doesn’t mean.

Her mother doesn’t acknowledge the comment. “Do you know where Ino lives? We’ll be heading into winter soon but she’s able to give you flowers? That’s not really something you’re able to do unless you have special help.”

“She makes them,” she doesn’t mean to sound as rude as she does, but for some reason what her mom says makes her feel the need to defend Ino. “She lives kinda far away with the rest of her family.” Her mom is quiet for a second as she thinks over what Sakura has told her.

“Did Ino ever tell you about her family?”

“Sometimes. They live in the forest, she said. She said they were spites. No, not spites… sprites! Yeah, sprites.” Sakura smiled. “That’s why she can make flowers, even when they don't grow.”

Her mom doesn’t smile back, but Sakura can’t tell if she’s mad or not. Once again, she has on her expression that hides her true feelings.

“Next time you see Ino, let me know. I want to talk to her, okay? Her parents too.” Sakura nods, and her mother goes back downstairs.


	6. Lucky Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ino leaves Sakura a parting gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final part! Please leave feedback and let me know how you liked the story! Enjoy!

“Sakura!” Tsunade calls up the stairs. “Are you almost ready? Kakashi will be back soon!”

Sakura’s nearly through the door when she finally remembers what she had forgotten to pack. She leaves her bags at the door and turns back into her room, her focus on her bed. It wasn’t like her to leave it messy as she had, but she was in a bit of a hurry. She hadn’t been expecting Tsunade to send her on a mission, and she had quickly thought and then re-thought what to pack for the last hour or so.

She begins moving aside clothes and random objects, shaking them as she tosses them aside in case it had gotten stuck in something.

“Almost ready!” She calls back. She moves quicker now, throwing everything to the clear end of her bed and then throwing back her sheets when she doesn’t find it. It’s not underneath the sheets either. Slightly disappointed, she steps back and takes a breath, trying to focus on remembering where it was rather than tearing her room apart. Her eyes scan the room once before the sight of her pillows, which ended up on the floor in her hurry, remind her.

She checks one case, coming up empty, then grabs her second. She can feel the weight before she even looks, then reaches into the case, pulling out a clear locket on a chain. It’s moderately sized, but relatively flat to be comfortable wearing as a necklace. The clear casing makes it easy to see the small dried hydrangeas inside. There are seven of various colors. 

“Take these with you, for luck,” Ino had said when she gave them to her.

“For luck?” Sakura asked sarcastically, smiling. Of course she would take them.

“Well, not just luck,” Ino rolled her eyes, it would take more than that to make her blush. “You know, protection and stuff. Just take it.” Sakura took the flowers, already encased in the locket, and Ino’s hand at the same time. It was easy then, in Ino’s slight surprise, to pull her the few inches closer Sakura needs to quickly press a kiss to her cheek.

“Thanks, Ino. I have to go pack.”

She turned to go back into the house right after to hide her own blush from the other girl. “Yeah, whatever,” Ino says back, but Sakura could hear the smile in her voice.

“Sakura!” Tsunade calls again.

“I’m coming!” Sakura fastens the locket around her neck before grabbing her bags again and making her way for the door.


End file.
